Developer Diary | End of Year 2023

[winkelmander]

DLC for an update of the Battle planner! More depth in combat. Area of operations, army borders, the use of reserves at a front. Possibility to cluster your army in corps so you can have an armoured spearhead, infantry corps for the flanks and reserve.

With an update of the focus tree of Germany and an balance of power.

 

[Minuda]

DLC for an update of the Battle planner! More depth in combat. Area of operations, army borders, the use of reserves at a front. Possibility to cluster your army in corps so you can have an armoured spearhead, infantry corps for the flanks and reserve.

With an update of the focus tree of Germany and an balance of power.

I feel like this kind of update would require a total overhaul of how the AI handles land warfare...

Which would make this either the best update for single-players, or be literally impossible for the devs to do.

 

[Catharsis27]

Saying YES to :

New Swabia​

was a disputed Antarctic claim by Nazi Germany within the Norwegian territorial claim of Queen Maud Land and is now a cartographic name.....

The main purpose was to find an area in Antarctica for a German whaling station, as a way to increase Germany's production of fat. Whale oil was then the most important raw material for the production of margarine and soap in Germany and the country was the second largest purchaser of Norwegian whale oil, importing some 200,000 metric tonnes annually.

Conspiracy theories

Neuschwabenland has been the subject of conspiracy theories for decades, some of them related to Nazi UFO claims. Most assert that, in the wake of the German expedition of 1938–39, a huge military base was built there.

Can it be build?

 

[Qswhisper]

More than half of the 2020 roadmap has been completed, thanks to your efforts. There are still a lot of issues with the game though, so hopefully next year will be as high quality of an update as this year was.

 

[Elettricità]

I think the game requires food and its effect on the size of the army. Economic policy will also be tied to food accumulation.
The DLC about Brazil and Argentina (and, ofc, all of Latin America) should help with this idea.

We also really need air marshals. Balbo, Kesselring and Gustaitis are missing the sky.

And a rework of Norway would also really welcome. Yes, already.)

 

[Fatallight]

More than half of the 2020 roadmap has been completed, thanks to your efforts. There are still a lot of issues with the game though, so hopefully next year will be as high quality of an update as this year was.
View attachment 1066715

I hope "Make doctrines more strongly affect division designing" isn't done. What they have now feels like a good experiment but it needs to be taken to its conclusion. I'm not sure the effect is enough yet to create much of a variety.

 

[BrotherJonathan]

I think the game requires food and its effect on the size of the army. Economic policy will also be tied to food accumulation.
The DLC about Brazil and Argentina (and, ofc, all of Latin America) should help with this idea.

We also really need air marshals. Balbo, Kesselring and Gustaitis are missing the sky.

And a rework of Norway would also really welcome. Yes, already.)

AFAIK the devs have basically confirmed that we're never getting a food system because of Things We're Not Supposed to Talk About Here.

 

[Arheo]

AFAIK the devs have basically confirmed that we're never getting a food system because of Things We're Not Supposed to Talk About Here.

That’s really not the only reason. HOI isn’t an economics simulator, and while I for one would probably enjoy a much deeper industrial/economic loop (see: Imperator 2.0), it is not part of what makes HOI a success.

 

[$ilent_$trider]

I'm Brazilian, only i can say is be careful with South America, Braziilian internet/game geeks tends to be too passionate abouts politics, and Vargas 30's is a very divisive figure til today, some love him with passion, and others hate him with passion.

Monarquism is just pure fantasy(i'm older i have 40, before 90's restore monarchy ideas was like a joke), but BR-internet bubbles tends to believe that was a big thing, so i don't recommend "experiments" like did with Norway monarchy, otherwise you will bring lots of hate from BR's. Brazil have the most singular history in americas becaus was once the home of only european monarchy in the new world(without be a forced puppet like mexico imperator).

If Vargas is kept around, two possible branches would be siding with the Germans or siding with the Americans (Americans, not British).
Heck, even something like what happened to Romania switching sides wouldn’t have been a far-off possibility.

 

[Fatallight]

That’s really not the only reason. HOI isn’t an economics simulator, and while I for one would probably enjoy a much deeper industrial/economic loop (see: Imperator 2.0), it is not part of what makes HOI a success.

I don't think it's the economic simulation that people are interested in (not me, at least). It's the strategic implications. Food production and needs are another reason to conquer certain regions. Food imports are another thing to consider when making trade partners and allies. Embargoes and trade raiding of food imports adds another way to reduce your opponent's fighting capabilities so you can win a strategic victory, rather than just fighting attrition wars. More imports would also make Navy more important, which is always welcome.

Basically I don't care how simple the food system is as long as it enables new strategic gameplay. It could probably be almost the same system as fuel and still be successful.

 

[$ilent_$trider]

I don't think it's the economic simulation that people are interested in (not me, at least). It's the strategic implications. Food production and needs are another reason to conquer certain regions. Food imports are another thing to consider when making trade partners and allies. Embargoes and trade raiding of food imports adds another way to reduce your opponent's fighting capabilities so you can win a strategic victory, rather than just fighting attrition wars. More imports would also make Navy more important, which is always welcome.

Basically I don't care how simple the food system is as long as it enables new strategic gameplay. It could probably be almost the same system as fuel and still be successful.

That was exactly the suggestion I had given years ago, treating the consumption of rations as fuel.
Even with the partitioning of rations between military and population dependent on your economic policy and affecting stability if going into partial mobilization while at peace for too long (also ration production being affected if taking too many recruits away from the farm)…

And yes, the proper industrialization of South America happened because of WW2 and Europe and America buying grains and textiles from South American countries giving them the money to finally industrialize.

 

[ftlf]

DLC for an update of the Battle planner! More depth in combat. Area of operations, army borders, the use of reserves at a front. Possibility to cluster your army in corps so you can have an armoured spearhead, infantry corps for the flanks and reserve.

With an update of the focus tree of Germany and an balance of power.

I agree, but most likely it will be South America. Because there are too few independent States in Africa for 1936

 

[Herennius]

While I personally think that the missing countries with unique content in South East Asia, Middle East or even sprinkled across Europe would be more important for the core topic "WW2" than South America, I'm not even really unhappy with going for the latter first. It is probably the best sign for HoI4 still being extended and maintained for a while, as I can't imagine development starting while still the initially mentioned pieces are missing (unless of course somehow sales etc. are dramatically dropping, but HoI4 seems to be the most robust pdx GSG here).

 

[Eudoxe]

Czechoslovakia, Romania and Hungary (and Yugoslavia) are included in probably the first DLC for HoI 4. Of course, they are very old and could use a rework.

Belgium could be included in the Austria and Germany DLC - maybe even non-European countries.

Well, Romania at least has an enjoyable tree (albeit dated, there has been work, and it offer some options). Hungary is pretty out of date, and Czechoslovakia is totally bland.

I sincerely hope the rework will focus on Japan which is the worst major tree at the moment, but I fear it will be Germany.

Regarding the untouched continent, it will obviously be South America, but I would have preferred South East Asia by miles... Come one, Siam, Philippines and Indonesia do not have focus tree when they actually took part in the war. Siam is actually the worst offender in that case
And French Indochina could also receive something similar to Iceland or Ethiopia. Ho Chi Minh also lead a anti japanese resistance movement after all.

 

[kimidf]

It is possible that a future dlc will be a kind of increase in the time frame of the game as expansions for HOI II such as Armageddon were in their time, as happened in some things that HOI II has also recovered in some way from the most popular mods in the community How is Road 56 and would fit perfectly into the so-called Wunderfwaffen projects

I also think certain improvements should be implemented to the tree or decisions for Yugoslavia to implement partisan movements, including having a small tree of its own for Croatia.

 

[Kosaki MacTavish]

Regarding the untouched continent, it will obviously be South America, but I would have preferred South East Asia by miles... Come one, Siam, Philippines and Indonesia do not have focus tree when they actually took part in the war. Siam is actually the worst offender in that case
And French Indochina could also receive something similar to Iceland or Ethiopia. Ho Chi Minh also lead a anti japanese resistance movement after all.

Bruh, are you me?

I'm just collecting some recently updated national mods for Southeast Asia and it only has East Indies (Indonesia) and Siam, with Philippines is coming soon and i'll update my mod collection ASAP.

Steam Workshop::Southeast Asian Countries Vanilla Mods

Steam Workshop: Hearts of Iron IV. A collection of individual mods for Southeast Asian countries in HoI4 Vanilla setting (1936 start)

steamcommunity.com

 

[stid33]

Loving the updates but for a game based on historical accurateness, hate the labelling of 'England' being used....they can't even be released in the game

(From a pedantic 'Brit')

 

[BrotherJonathan]

Well, Romania at least has an enjoyable tree (albeit dated, there has been work, and it offer some options). Hungary is pretty out of date, and Czechoslovakia is totally bland.

I sincerely hope the rework will focus on Japan which is the worst major tree at the moment, but I fear it will be Germany.

Regarding the untouched continent, it will obviously be South America, but I would have preferred South East Asia by miles... Come one, Siam, Philippines and Indonesia do not have focus tree when they actually took part in the war. Siam is actually the worst offender in that case
And French Indochina could also receive something similar to Iceland or Ethiopia. Ho Chi Minh also lead a anti japanese resistance movement after all.

I'm starting to think one possibility of what me might get is a Domination-style DLC that updates a bunch of Focus Trees at once. Most of the pre-WTT Focus Trees feel a little limited and outdated at this point.

 

[Teutonic_Knight_2000]

Well, Romania at least has an enjoyable tree (albeit dated, there has been work, and it offer some options). Hungary is pretty out of date, and Czechoslovakia is totally bland.

I sincerely hope the rework will focus on Japan which is the worst major tree at the moment, but I fear it will be Germany.

Czechoslovakia (it would be nice if they had the aspiration to restore the Great Moravian State or restore Kingdom of Bohemia with the borders from the times of Ottokar II and Charles IV + of course electing Charles III Habsburg as the king of Bohemia) and Hungary could get a slight rework with the release of the Austria & Germany DLC.

There is nothing stopping Japan from being included in one DLC along with Austria and Germany - all of these countries were Axis countries (Austria as part of the Third Reich). Mission trees for these countries should have large alternative history branches. And the coolest thing would be an advanced Government mechanic (something like HoI 3, but more advanced) as part of such a DLC.

 

[BrotherJonathan]

Czechoslovakia (it would be nice if they had the aspiration to restore the Great Moravian State or restore Kingdom of Bohemia with the borders from the times of Ottokar II and Charles IV + of course electing Charles III Habsburg as the king of Bohemia) and Hungary could get a slight rework with the release of the Austria & Germany DLC.

There is nothing stopping Japan from being included in one DLC along with Austria and Germany - all of these countries were Axis countries (Austria as part of the Third Reich). Mission trees for these countries should have large alternative history branches. And the coolest thing would be an advanced Government mechanic (something like HoI 3, but more advanced) as part of such a DLC.

A DLC that adds an FT for Austria and tweaks Hungary and Czechoslovakia could be fun. However, one problem I forsee is that altering Czechoslovakia and Hungary could be seen as "DLC for DLC", which the devs have stated on many occasions that they will never do for good reason. Of course they could get around this by making Death or Dishonor free...